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RO/DI Unit

RO/DI Unit

After 7 weeks of lugging water buckets up and down three flights of stairs and from and to the LFS, I have purchased an RO/DI unit. This all came about after doing daily water changes in the QT.

I was wondering what everyone is using for their salt? I've heard good things about Reef Crystals. Any suggestions?
 
Aaron Peer Mrs. Peer - good choice on getting the RO/DI - that should save a lot of water hauling up the stairs! I run my RO/DI in the back yard off of my garden hose connection - even hauling water up a few steps and across the house is a pain. The 2.5 gallon jugs aren't too bad but the 5 gallon ones are heavy. I'm no kid anymore LOL! On the salt, I started out with Instant Ocean, then switched to the Red Sea Coral Pro, then to Reef Crystals, and go back & forth depending on what may be on sale. I'm back on Reef Crystals now. There's a good salt study that was done by AWT:

AWT Salt Study

It's interesting but flawed since they found different salt (salinity)strengths at the beginning, but didn't adjust the following tests based on the salinity strength differences. Interesting comparisons though. As to what the best salt is - make your own conclusions. There are several salt comparisons out there and there may be better ones that IO or Reef Crystals, but I don't think you can go wrong buying one of these or the other well known salt mixes.
 
I have used IO forever. All the salts that Reefmack mentioned are great I think the question to ask is what salt to avoid???? I steer clear of Coralife. I have also used Kent and had good results.
 
wow, this thread is crazy, another split!

Ok June update on my OfficeMax

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HUGE snail:

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that's a Korlia powerhead. looks about the size of a 1? maybe 2?

I have the K1 in my 14g and will be moving it to my RSM when it arrives between 3-7pm Wednesday! woo hoo!!!
 
Timberwerks - if you mean on the upper right - that's a Hydor Koralia powerhead - I think it's a HK #1 but it may be a #2. It attaches with a magnet mount and the cord is normally routed up and through the back. Most owners have one, or similar, on the right side to get some flow from that side.
 
It is a Koralia #2, I went with it over the #1. I have two of those snails actually, I can't belive how large they have gotten since I purchased. They don't knock over things often, even though they may have been the guity party when my Leather fell over on my GSP and the leather didnt' pull through.

I glue everything down using the superglue gel and aquamend putty method. Pretty much snail and hermit proof everything. The snails stick to the glass most of the time, yesterday I caught that one on ricordea island looking for food.

They do a great job and keeping the glass clean of algae
 
Hey everyone. Ok so I just got my red sea max today and have a few questions. Before I put anything together what alterations should I make to the stock equipment. Ive read cutting down the sponges and inserting an air pump in the skimmer or something. Any advice would be much appreciated.
 
Timberwerks - The choice of a Koralia 1 or 2 is one you'll have to make yourself. The #2 is more powerful, and a lot of folks opted for a #1. I have a #1 and I'm happy with it it. A lot depends on the corals you'll want - some of the soft corals could get too much flow if in front of a #2. Not an easy decision. Maybe someone else can help with other advice. Koralia has come out with a wavemaker that can be use with a couple Koralias plugged in, but it's pretty pricy. I think a wavemaker is usually used with 2 or more pumps, but I'm not 100% sure on that.

RyanMcLaughlin - Wow - I hate to recommend anyone mod a brand new tank till they see how things work. A Koralia is a good add to that upper back right corner. Or even a Tunze Nano Stream powerhead (costs more and about the same flow as a Koralia #2).

A lot of us found that cutting that black sponge down to 1-2 inches thick helps flow in the back. Keep what's left - it may be useful later.

Here's a quick & easy skimmer mod first put out by Hodge - it may or may not improve skimmer efficiency, but it does quiet the skimmer:

Skimmer Mod

Here's a page with a mod replacing one of the RSM powerheads with a Maxijet 1200 for more flow:

MJ 1200 Mod

And, not a mod, but when you get to placing corals in the tank here's the method I've been using with the best success for over a year now:

coral gluing

I usually use a "sandwhich" of superglue gel & epoxy. I mix up a ball of epoxy putty, appropriately sized (guesstimated) to the size of the coral base and the nature/texture of the rock where I want to place it - maybe the size of a marble, or bigger, for corals with a large bases. Then I dry off the coral base by blotting with a paper towel, make a depression in the soft putty ball, put in a big blob of SG Gel and press onto the dried coral base for a minute till it bonds a bit. I then make a depression in the bottom (other side)of the putty, fill that with another big blob of SG Gel and put the coral in the tank and slowly press it onto the rock and hold a minute till the glue bonds the soft putty to the rock before it hardens. SG Gel or Epoxy putty have never worked well for me, but the combination has done pretty well. Not always 100% but it usually work for me. And I've learned not to scrimp on the amount of SG Gel - I keep several tubes around - the bigger the blob the better the chance of it working. I'm basically using the putty to conform to the shape of the coral base and live rock, and the SG Gel on the top & bottom to bond it all onto the rock.

There are other mods out there, including replacing the skimmer, but I'd give the skimmer a chance before replacing it. It works great for many people, and not so great for many others. If it's not too late I'd try to leave at least 5-6 inches behind the tank and the wall, in case you ever want to put an overflow on for a sump or refugium. Next to impossible to move the tank once it's full of water! I wish I had left more space behind mine.

I really do recommend not doing too much till you see how everything works for a while. Most mods can be done later on. Just my opinion.
 
RyanMcLaughlin - I forgot to mention that most have placed a little gizmo called a Hydor Flo on one of the RSM powerheads - a low cost option that creates a 360 degree rotating flow direction that's powered solely by the flow coming out of the powerhead - not electrical.

There may be more that I'm not remembering. And then there's the issue of having media located under the pumps......but you can change that after you're up & running for a while.
 
<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=12807199#post12807199 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by RyanMcLaughlin
Hey everyone. Ok so I just got my red sea max today and have a few questions. Before I put anything together what alterations should I make to the stock equipment. Ive read cutting down the sponges and inserting an air pump in the skimmer or something. Any advice would be much appreciated.

:celeb3: I'm glad to hear your RSM has arrived, safe & sound!! I have to agree with Reefmack in that I think you should get the tank up & running before doing any mods. Put it together & make sure your equipment is all working ... heater, lights, skimmer, pumps, timer, electrical. Add your LR & substrate, keep the rock away from the side enough so you can clean the glass. Add a Hydor Koralia 1 or 2 ( I have the 1), and just let everything run for a bit to see if you need any mods. Give the skimmer some time to settle in and also, to build some bioload in the tank for it to work on. Some owners have had good luck with the stock skimmer ... I was one of them, until this past week-end ... my pump broke. Now I'm waiting for a Tunze 9002 ... hopefully it will be delivered tomorrow.
If you don't already have a refractometer ... it's a great investment ... accurate & easy. The swing arm type to measure Specific Gravity are not very accurate or reliable.
 
StevieTdrill: Your office RSM is looking very nice!! Do you have 4 fish in there ... or did I miss somebody?? :D Your corals all seem to be doing very well with the stock lighting. I haven't changed my lights out either, I like them!! :)
 
So I plan on getting a Hydor 2 and the rotating flo deflector. I dont want to mess with the pumps and think adding the hydor would be better and easier. I will cut down the sponge. I plan to stay with the stock skimmer and see how it works out. On that mod do you just drill a hole for air to come out and put a hose in there? Also I read somewhere on here that you can insert an airstone where the water comes out of the skimmer so it pushes it back in for better skim or something. I cant find it now but does anyone remember reading that?
 
Re: RO/DI Unit

Re: RO/DI Unit

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=12802393#post12802393 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by Aaron Peer
After 7 weeks of lugging water buckets up and down three flights of stairs and from and to the LFS, I have purchased an RO/DI unit. This all came about after doing daily water changes in the QT.

I was wondering what everyone is using for their salt? I've heard good things about Reef Crystals. Any suggestions?
I use Tropic Marin, or will be...I took the plunge and am settin up a unit as well, its taking up a whole bathroom, lol. My LFS uses Tropic Marin, so what the heck.
 
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